


alive

by zetsubousei (popnographic)



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 15:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10390380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popnographic/pseuds/zetsubousei
Summary: Naegi and Asahina are saved from the second killing game by Togami and Hagakure, and they now have to face the aftermath of all that went down inside the Future Foundation headquarters.





	

His optimism is probably what’s kept him alive all this time, more so than his hope has. But sometimes, Makoto finds it _very_ difficult to be optimistic. To think that things will get better, that he’ll get out of whatever situation he’s managed to get stuck in that always brings about death among people he cares for. But, along with his talent, optimism is the only thing he can cling to with borderline desperation as he tries to survive yet another killing game.

Makoto’s learnt a few things over the years. Following the first class trial back at Kibougamine, he’d almost made the same mistake Mukuro did that ultimately caused her death, which was to lash out at Monokuma. But Kyouko, who _always_ managed to keep a level head even in situations like these, held him back. Told him it wasn’t worth it, and that he should hold back for now if he really wants to avenge the death of his friends.

Even though they no longer have to fear breaking their NG codes, they’re still trapped within the Future Foundation headquarters, still looking for a way out of what used to be their safe haven, but has now turned into the exact opposite. This used to be Kibougamine for them, too; a shelter their headmaster had locked them inside with their permission, to protect his students. And in the end, it turned out to be the cage they would later try and escape from.

Now that Makoto’s free to run in hallways again, he and Aoi are making their way towards the exit to finally escape this killing game. Bullets are flying around him, and Makoto’s once again reminded of his odd high school talent, surprised that it’s still on his side despite him having been out of high school for a while. Sometimes it’s bad luck, sometimes it’s good. The worst is not knowing which will hit him next, and in what way he’ll experience said luck.

It turns out bad luck is just around the corner, manifesting itself as a bullet in Aoi’s calf. When she yelps in pain, Makoto immediately stops and turns around to see her sitting on the floor, clutching her leg with a hand that quickly dyes red and begins dripping blood.

“Aoi!”

He kneels beside Aoi, who grimaces in pain for a short moment before she flashes him a shaky grin.

“Good thing it didn’t hit higher, huh. We managed to dodge a _lot_ of bullets—one was bound to hit eventually.”

When he’s done patching her up, Aoi tells him to go on without her, and she won’t listen to his fervent protesting. If they’ve made it this far together, always supported each other… how can he just leave her behind? Makoto knows there aren’t many people in the building besides those who have either fallen to the hands of the mastermind behind the killing game, or those who were stopped by those brainwashed by Mitarai. Even so, Makoto doesn’t want to leave a dear friend behind again, he doesn’t want to lose anyone else.

But Aoi is and always has been one of the most stubborn people Makoto knows. It’s mostly a good thing, really, and it’s what makes him eventually leave her with the promise of bringing back help as fast as he can.

The hallways feel like a maze he _still_ can’t get out of, and while it feels strange for Makoto to run through them even though he’s been without his bracelet for a while now, he runs as fast as he can. The image of Aoi’s strained smile is etched into his mind; he knew she was lying when she said she’ll be fine. Even so, he can’t defy her and stay when he _knows_ he’ll have to go and get help, and eventually get them out of there.

When he hears several clicks behind him, he knows he’s finally been cornered, and Makoto stops, turns around, and finds dozens of guns pointed at him. They’re all wearing some strange kind of glasses along with their helmets and other gear, their lips are all formed into straight lines… and the sight is scary. Makoto can’t believe Mitarai did this, that he’s doing this for the sake of _hope_. This isn’t what hope is.

Makoto swallows hard, glaring at the soldier closest to him. No one’s moving, and the only thing Makoto hears is his thundering heartbeat in his ears. But then a loud crash shatters the silence, and Makoto about jumps out of his skin.

“Naegicchi!”

“Hagakure-kun?!”

He nearly cries at the sight of his fellow Future Foundation-colleague and former classmate, who clumsily runs up to him and shields him from the armed soldiers.

… that is, until they point their guns at him, and he raises his arms in defeat.

“I give up, I give up!” he cries.

“Oi. What do you think you’re doing?”

The guns suddenly shift direction to somewhere beside Makoto and Yasuhiro, and when Makoto turns to look, he nearly cries in relief again.

“Who do you think you’re pointing those guns at?!” Togami Byakuya yells before his own troops run forward to battle those of Mitarai. He approaches Makoto who’s sitting on the ground following Yasuhiro’s assault-hug. “You look absolutely terrible. Are you sure you’ve got luck on your side?”

Makoto’s heart skips a beat at the smile Byakuya directs at him, and he can’t help but laugh.

 

* * *

 

With Aoi safe and taken care of, Makoto stands by the pier and looks out towards the horizon. The emotions are washing over him like waves in a stormy sea now that it’s all over, and he inhales a shaky breath through his nose. He barely even reacts to the footsteps behind him that eventually stops, and then he senses someone standing next to him.

“I told Fukawa it wasn’t going to happen.”

Makoto finally looks to his side, up at Byakuya. “… What?”

Byakuya sighs, frowning a little. “She and your sister contacted me about the same thing I assume you heard from the two of them. About how one of us was going to die. And I told Fukawa there was no chance that would happen, all while I was safe _drinking tea_.”

“You couldn’t have known.”

“But I should’ve been there with you.”

Swallowing hard, Makoto looks ahead of them again, clenching a fist. He looks down at it, and sees the smeared blood he still hasn’t washed off since it happened. “It was my fault.”

“What are you saying?” Byakuya asks. Normally, Makoto would smile or even laugh at the fact that he nowadays can really tell what Byakuya’s feeling through his voice and his body language. But now, Makoto can’t bring himself to smile. “You didn’t kill her, did you?”

“I didn’t. But I got her killed by being alive.”

His memories are a little hazy, but he still remembers part of the hallucination brought on by the brainwashing video he’d been shown. Why _is_ he alive, and not them? Why did one of his dearest friends have to die for his sake, what makes him so special that he always has to survive whatever he’s put through? Why does his godforsaken high school talent _still_ haunt him like this?

Makoto wonders what would’ve happened had Sakakura not interfered with his suicide attempt. What if Sakakura _had_ actually died back then, by Munakata’s hands? Would his luck magically materialise someone else to come stop him? If so, who? What if—

“After all this time, you do _not_ get to think this way, Naegi Makoto,” Byakuya interrupts his thoughts, and his voice drips with anger. “You don’t think I feel regret, too? I promised myself I’d get you all out of there alive, but did I succeed? Why was I not roped in to participate in this killing game along with you all when I should have been?”

“Why _should_ you have been there with us?” Makoto instead asks.

“Because we work together; I’m a part of Future Foundation, too. Or was, I guess… there’s really no way they can continue to operate after this.”

Looking out over the horizon again, Makoto slowly unclenches his fist by his side. Byakuya has changed so much since they first met in their first year of high school. Back then, he was arrogant, saw himself as superior, and always had to be right. Thought the killing game they’d been thrown into was fun and interesting. Now he’s working hard to make sure those close to him are safe, he shows _concern_ , and Makoto’s gotten to see more than a handful of his genuine smiles.

“You’ve really changed, haven’t you, Togami-kun?”

Byakuya snorts. “I was bound to, during all these years. And with you all as classmates? Even someone as stubborn as myself would bend, if even a little. But I did not break, and I will not allow you to do so, either.”

Makoto sighs, and closes his eyes for a second. The sun has just about set, and they should really head back soon. Even so, Makoto wouldn’t mind staying here for a little longer.

“Thank you,” he says. “For saving me.”

“I owed you one. I’m fairly certain I still do, after all the times you’ve saved me and the others. No, you aren’t perfect, but you’re human. No one _is_ perfect. You did what you could, and look where it got us. Be glad you’re still here.”

There’s still parts of the old Byakuya that Makoto recognises faster than the blink of an eye, but they’re somehow refined. He’s brutally honest, he’s blunt, but Byakuya means well. People around him have influenced him to become less of what his parents raised him to be, it amazes Makoto just how much someone can grow and change within the span of a few short years.

“Yeah,” Makoto responds. “I’m glad I’m still here, of course. But I wish… I wish Kirigiri-san was here with us, too.”

Kyouko was not meant to die, not during the first killing game, not now. Makoto will never be able to get over the fact that his own employers are responsible for her death. They had been saved by the Future Foundation, and joined them believing things would be okay from now on. Finally, their suffering would end.

And while saving their upperclassmen had been no easy task, it can’t quite compare to this. This affects him directly, on a personal level. Kyouko had done all in her power to ensure that Makoto and the others were safe and that they wouldn’t die. In the end, that mindset of hers is what got her killed. And it’s also the thing that Makoto will most likely always feel responsible for.

“We all wish she was, Naegi,” Byakuya sighs quietly. “But all we can do now is to keep on living, for her sake. For the others’ sake. Right?”

Makoto nods. Their work isn’t finished yet, though it’s going to be a lot harder now that the Future Foundation is basically run to the ground thanks to its founder. Even so, Makoto won’t give up. Not now, not after all this time. He told Kyouko back at Kibougamine that he wouldn’t overcome the deaths of his friends, but that he would carry them with him as he continued forward.

So that’s what he’s going to do. And he knows he isn’t alone in carrying this burden, in walking this path. A few years ago, things were different. Now, Naegi Makoto isn’t alone.

“Come on,” Byakuya says. “We should head back now.”

His fingertips grace the back of Makoto’s hand, and Makoto looks down at their hands still lingering close. “You’re right.”

Aoi is sitting up and seems to feel better when they return, and when she sees Makoto, she smiles. The room feels a lot bigger than it did a few days ago before they went into the Future Foundation headquarters for the last time, but Makoto tries not to think about it. They’re still here, and while they’ve lost many friends on the way, they’ll keep moving forward for those friends’ sake. For Kyouko, for Sayaka—for all of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't get me wrong; I really love Kirigiri as a character. But I felt like bringing her back in "DR3 side:hope" sort of ruined everything that came after her 'death' in DR3. I was sort of okay with them tricking us into thinking Asahina died when it was fake blood and a fake knife, but Kirigiri being brought back felt unrealistic to me. This is just my opinion of course, and my explanation as to why I chose not to have her revived in this story.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> [[tumblr](http://radiodread.tumblr.com)]


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